Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sofia Ubilla. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Sofia, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Success as an artist is a very difficult thing to define. People think that successful artists are only the ones they see on TV, on Broadway, or on the BillBoard Top 100. But as I’ve entered the theatre industry in a time of extreme volatility, I have continued to be inspired by the artists around me that define success simply by having the ability to practice their creative discipline. Being able to make art sustainably and consistently is success enough. Theatre especially is such a local art form that as long as you are making an impact to the community around you with your work, you can consider yourself successful. I’ve definitely struggled with what will make me feel like I have “made it,” but as artistic opportunities become more frequent and sustainable, I am able to envision a life for myself that feels fulfilling artistically and successful for the goals that I want in my life. Of course, everyone wants to be on Broadway. But it’s not a requirement to feel fulfilled. And that is extremely important for an artist to realize. If not, you risk driving yourself crazy.

Sofia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a Costa Rican, New York-based theatre artist and administrator. Born and raised in South Florida, I am attracted to work that promotes untold stories and believe in the power of storytelling and representation to shape the world we live in. I have a deep love for the Spanish language that began on my summer trips to Costa Rica and has a vested interest in bringing this language to the American stage in a variety of forms. I loves collaborating and creating with groups of artists in service of underrepresented stories that help diversify the American theatrical canon.

I graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with a concentration in Directing, and Spanish Studies, summa cum laude. During my time at Fordham, I dedicated myself to producing Latine or Spanish-language playwrights, with a passion for bilingual performance and translation for performance. My Spanish Studies thesis titled “New Methods for Translation and Performance of the Spanish Golden Age: A Case Study of a Virtual Production of Ana Caro’s Valor, agravio y mujer” explored the ways new media and performance complete the translation act when staging a Spanish-language play to an English-speaking audience. I hope to continue these research efforts in my creative and academic work to find new and better forms of translating plays in order to increase the reach and accessibility of the Spanish-langauge canon in the United States. I was also one of the founding members of the Fordham Theatre BIPOC Alliance, created in Summer of 2020 to advocate for the BIPOC theatre students.

Since graduation, I have focused on the development of new work, especially from Latine writers. I have worked on several staged readings and workshop productions, as well as experimental short form theatre works. I am passionate about the working with playwrights to bring their words to life and investigate different modes of storytelling. I focus on stories about the ordinary, of the everyday people that make life on this earth so special, and continue to search for artistic homes that share this passion and will help me continue to explore her artistic voice.

She has also honed her skills as a arts administrator, working in fundraising for both a large Broadway not-for-profit and a small, start-up new work development organization. She has experience with arts education and new work development, helping support the next generation of theatre artists.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being a theatre artist necessitates collaboration. You are never working on a project alone. You have to put full trust in your actors, designers, crew, and everyone else who helps make the production happen. Those moments when you’re faced with a storytelling challenge and you have to work together to find the solution are when the magic of theatre is most palpable. I love the community that these collaborative relationships build, as you are all working together to make something powerful and transformative for an audience to experience.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I think that there is nothing more powerful than seeing your life experiences reflected back to you in media. Storytelling is the way that human beings have made sense of the world around them for our entire existence. It validates your experiences, and helps you process what you go through in life. And theatre specifically has the power to make that storytelling even more visceral by having it happen live and in community with others. I’ve had some incredibly transformative experiences in the theatre, and it is the reason that I decided to become a theatre artist. I feel called to create transformative experiences, to help tell the stories of the ordinary and marginalized people on this planet, to help them feel seen and speak truth to their every day experiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sofiaubilla.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-ubilla-737ab723a/

Image Credits

Cason Doyle; Krystal Pagán; Zach Lyman; Nick Chimienti